Helical bag magazine



July 4, 1967 E. T. DE PASS 3,329,254

HELICAL BAG MAGAZINE Filed June 21, 1966 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOER Z5 ERNEST T DEPGSS Z5 T I' QTTORNE'Y July 4, 1967 Filed June 21, 1966 HELICAL BAG MAGAZINE E. T. DE PASS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTIDR ERNEST T DEPFISS HTTORNEV July 4, 1967 E. T. DE PASS 3,329,254

HELICAL BAG MAGAZINE Filed June 21, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet u 11K) u xi UL cm X 25 INVENTOR ERNEST T DEPASS HTTORNEY United States Patent 3,329,254 HELICAL BAG MAGAZINE Ernest T. de Pass, Bound Brook, N.J., assignor to Union Camp Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Filed June 21, 1966, Ser. No. 559,217

7 Claims. (Cl. 198110) The present invention relates to improvements in a bag magazine. More particularly it pertains to a helical bag magazine which stores a quantity of bags and discharges them in predetermined stacks at a timed rate or as needed.

In operating packaging machines it is always a problem to keep the machine supplied with bags, particularly if the machine operates at a high rate of speed. Because of space limitations the bag magazines of such machines are usually limited in size which necessitates constant refilling by the operators. The helical bag magazine of the present invention is designed to alleviate this problem by providing a magazine which can store a large quantity of bags in stacks in a vertical position and discharge the stacks as needed to the packaging machine. Such magazine can be placed adjacent a packaging machine so that the stacks of bags can be conveyed easily to the magazine of the packaging machine. Although the present invention is described with reference to bags, it will be understood that it can be used equally well with flat blanks, tubes or similar articles which must be fed to not only packaging machines but also bottoming machines, carton set-up machines, and like devices. Such items are included in the term bags as used herein. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a machine which satisfies a definite need for bag storage and discharge.

Heretofore, conveyor elevator mechanisms have been employed primarily for shifting successive articles placed in longitudinal array by carrying these articles from a higher to a lower level, or vice versa, and an example of such a mechanism is found in Johnson US. Patent No. 2,854,125. However, the use of a conveyor mechanism for feeding bags one at a time to a high speed machine, as might be gleaned from the teaching in the Johnson patent, would not permit the packaging machine to operate at the desired high production rate, because the feeding operation within the packaging machine runs on an entirely different control rate. In short, the Johnson machine is much too complicated for the discharging of stacks of bags and makes no provision for the storage of a large quantity of articles such as bags as is done with the machine of the present invention.

A further object is to provide a machine which stores bags vertically and is relatively compact in size to save on expensive plant floor space and release such space for more productive use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the empty magazine;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the empty magazine;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 2 with the magazine loaded with bags;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to that of FIGURE 1 with the magazine loaded with bags;

FIGURES 5 through 13 are diagrammatic plan views of the magazine in various positions of rotation as follows:

FIGURE 5 shows the initial position of the helix with the magazine filled. (The uppermost leading edge of the helix is designated by the letter X). Stack 1A of the first level is ready for discharge;

FIGURE 6 shows stack 1A discharged. The helix has been rotated counterclockwise and is ready to pick up stack 2A;

FIGURE 7 shows the helix rotated 90 clockwise bringing stack 2A to the discharge position;

FIGURE 8 shows stack 2A discharged. The helix has been rotated counterclockwise and is ready to pick up stack 3A;

FIGURE 9 shows the helix rotated 180 clockwise bringing stack 3A to the discharge position;

FIGURE 10 shows the stack 3A discharged. The helix has been rotated 270 counterclockwise and is ready to pick up stack 4A;

FIGURE 11 shows the helix rotated 270 clockwise bringing stack 4A to the discharge position;

FIGURE 12 shows the stack 4A discharged. The helix is being rotated counterclockwise and the A-tier of stacks has been completely discharged.

FIGURE 13 shows the helix rotated 360 counterclockwise. The B-tier of stacks has been brought up to the top level of the helix which is ready to repeat the discharge cycle.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 4 the helix 20 can be formed around a center spindle 21 and fabricated from any smooth surface, such as sheet metal. The surface may be coated with any anti-friction material since sliding of the surface of the helix past the bags is the key to its performance. The diameter of the helix is determined by the bag size to be handled. The number of turns is deter-mined by the number of bags to be stored in the magazine and by the desired height of discharge. The helix can be made with either a left hand or right hand pitch.

The inner surface 20a of the helix is rigidly secured to the center spindle 21 so that it rotates with the spindle. The outer surface 201) of the helix is held to the inner surface 20a by supporting rods 22 secured to both surfaces. Such construction simplifies fabrication of the helix, but it will be understood that the entire surface of the helix could be formed of one sheet.

The spindle 21, mounted on a base 23, can be rotated by any suitable means. As will be further described, the spindle and attached helix must rotate alternately clockwise and counterclockwise except for every fourth step when it makes a full 360 counterclockwise turn. Such rotation can be on a timed cycle or by signal according to the needs of the machine to which the bags are being fed.

Bags are inserted by hand or other means in stacks 24 of a predetermined quantity between the outer vertical guides 25 from the outside periphery. The folded ends of the bags are preferably out but, if desired, the open ends of the bags can be out. Four stacks of bags are placed 90 apart around each 360 turn of the helix. They are arranged, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, so that each stack of bags, in combination with the inner vertical guides 26, stabilizes the adjacent stacks on either side at the center. The bags at the outer periphery are held in a fixed horizontal position and stabilized by the outer vertical guides. Thus, rotation of the helix will move the bags up or down vertically. The inner vertical guides 26 serve as stops for the stacks of bags and are mounted in slots 27 J so that such guides can be moved inward or outward depending on size of the bags and the position of the adjacent stack of bags. The vertical guides terminate at an elevation equal to that of the topmost point of the helix so that when each stack of bags rises to that height, it is then free to move horizontally to the point of discharge. This point can be anywhere around the periphery at the elevation of the topmost point. However, once established it must remain fixed so that each stack of bags is brought in its turn to this point of discharge where it can be plowed onto a discharge station or device. This is not shown since the discharge station can be connected with a take-away device which conveys the bags to their subsequent point of use. It can be manual or mechanical. In most cases, it will be a simple conveyor, and each stack of bags will replenish the magazine of a bagging or packaging machine, on demand, based upon usage.

For example, if a machine were using bags at the rate of per minute, and each stack contained bags, the helix would then have to feed a stack onto the discharge conveyor every 5 minutes. Therefore, the speed of rotation in each direction is very slow, in the order of 1 to 2 revolutions per minute. Since 3 out of every 4 stacks must be transported horizontally to the point of discharge, the helix must rotate alternately clockwise and counterclockwise except for every fourth step when it makes a full 360 turn.

FIGURE 5 shows the start position with the magazine completely filled. Stack 1A is ready for discharge. The helix is at rest with the topmost point at the discharge station.

After stack 1A has been plowed off onto the discharge station, the helix on demand is rotated 90 counterclockwise, as shown in FIGURE 6. With counterclockwise rotation, all bags move upward vertically. The topmost point of the helix has come to a stop at a point under stack 2A which has elevated stack 2A so that it is now clear of its vertical guides.

The helix is rotated 90 in a clockwise direction which brings stack 2A to the discharge station in readiness for delivery on demand to its subsequent destination (FIG- URE 7), At this point the helix is at rest. During the clockwise rotation, all bags moved downward vertically.

Stack 2A is then plowed off onto the discharge station after which the helix is rotated 180 counterclockwise, as shown in FIGURE 8. The topmost point of the helix has come to a stop at a point under stack 3A which has elevated stack 3A so that it is now clear of its vertical guides.

The helix is rotated, 180 in a clockwise direction which brings stack 3A to the discharge station in readiness for delivery on demand to its subsequent destination (FIG- URE 9). At this point the helix is at rest.

Stack 3A is then plowed off onto discharge station after which the helix is rotated 270 counterclockwise, as shown in FIGURE 10. The topmost point of the helix has come to a stop at a point under stack 4A which has elevated stack 4A so that it is now clear of its vertical guides.

The helix is rotated 270 in a clockwise direction which brings stack 4A to the discharge station in readiness for delivery on demand to its subsequent destination (FIG- URE 11). At this point the helix is at rest.

Stack 4A is then plowed off onto the discharge station after which the helix is rotated counterclockwise, as shown in FIGURE 12. When the helix has rotated counterclockwise through 360 the topmost point of the helix has come to a stop under stack 1B which is now at the discharge station. During rotation all bags have moved vertically upward and have been elevated one tier. The B tier is now on top and the helix is at rest (FIGURE 13).

On demand stack 1B is then plowed off onto the discharge station, the helix is rotated counterclockwise, and the cycle is repeated on tier B.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in a preferred form of commercial embodiment the helix and its associated horizontally spaced vertical guide rod structure could be combined in a unit with an electrically driven motor, gear box, stop-start mechanism and control for rotational movement of the spindle. The electrical motor, gear box, stop-start button, and time-distance-directional control for rotational setting are all standard items of commercial manufacture and are Well-known and widely used in the conveyor and packaging industry.

It will be apparent that the bag-magazine of the present invention effectively stores a quantity of bags and brings such bags when needed to a discharge station ready for use. It has distinct advantages over other bag magazines now in use and affords definite savings in labor and costs over other available operations.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a magazine which stores a quantity of articles and discharges them in a predetermined manner, a helix for holding and vertically conveying said articles, said helix comprising a number of turns for upward and downward movement of articles placed thereon, means for rotating the helix clockwise :and counterclockwise, horiz-ontally spaced outer vertical guides positioned in predetermined array around the outside periphery of the helix to receive said articles, inner vertical guides positioned to serve as stops for the articles placed between the outer guides, the arrangement of the guides being such that the said articles are spaced at angular distances apart around the helix with the articles held by the guides against horizontal movement, and the outer guides terminating at an elevation equal to that of the topmost part of the helix, whereby the rotation of the helix will move the articles up or down vertically depending upon the direction of rotation of the helix and the article at the topmost part of the helix being free to be rota-ted horizontally to the discharge station.

2. A magazine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spindle is centrally located within the helix and rigidly connected thereto and said helix is rotated through the said spindle.

'3. A magazine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for rotating the helix is an electrical motor and gear box drivingly connected to said spindle and provided with a stop-start button.

4. In a magazine which stores a plurality of stacks of relatively flat articles and discharges them in predetermined manner, a helix for holding and vertically conveying said stacks, said helix comprising a number of turns for upward and downward movement of stacks placed thereon, means for rotating the helix clockwise and counterclockwise, horizontally spaced outer vertical guides positioned in predetermined array around the outside periphery of the helix to receive the stacks of articles, inner vertical guides positioned to serve as stops for the stacks placed between the outer guides, the arrangement of the guides being such that the stacks are spaced apart around the helix with the stacks held by the guides against horizontal movement, and the outer guides terminating at an elevation equal to that of the topmost part of the helix, whereby the rotation of the helix will move the stacks up or down vertically depending upon the direction of rotation of the helix and the stack atthe' 6 topmost part of the helix being free to be rotated hori- References Cited zontally t0 the discharge station. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. A magazine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said inner vertical guides are movable in a radial direction to 2335978 11/19? Osborn 198 21;X adjust for the length of the article to be stacked thereon. 5 3'071240 1/19 3 f i et 198 12 '6. A magazine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the 3240489 3/1966 Pmc my et 271 62 means for rotating the helix is an electrical motor.

7. A magazine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said FOREIGN TE motor is provided With a control for presetting the angular 797,685 7/ 1958 Great Bl'ltaln' rotation of said spindle within predetermined angular limits, within a predetermined direction and for a pre- 10 EVON C'BLUNKP'Zmary Exammer' determined time. A. C. HODGSON, Assistant Examinler. 

1. IN A MAGAZINE WHICH STORES A QUANTITY OF ARTICLES AND DISCHARGES THEM IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER, A HELIX FOR HOLDING AND VERTICALLY CONVEYING SAID ARTICLES, SAID HELIX COMPRISING A NUMBER OF TURNS FOR UPWARD AND DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF ARTICLES PLACED THEREON, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE HELIX CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE, HORIZONTALLY SPACED OUTER VERTICAL GUIDES POSITIONED IN PREDETERMINED ARRAY AROUND THE OUTSIDE PERIPHERY OF THE HELIX TO RECEIVE SAID ARTICLES, INNER VERTICAL GUIDES POSITIONED TO SERVE AS STOPS FOR THE ARTICLES PLACED BETWEEN THE OUTER GUIDES, THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE GUIDES BEING SUCH THAT THE SAID ARTICLES ARE SPACED AT ANGULAR DISTANCES APART AROUND THE HELIX WITH THE ARTICLES HELD BY THE GUIDES AGAINST HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT, AND THE OUTER GUIDES TERMINATING AT AN ELEVATION EQUAL TO THAT OF THE TOPMOST PART OF THE HELIX, WHEREBY THE ROTATION OF THE HELIX WILL MOVE THE ARTICLES UP OR DOWN VERTICALLY DEPENDING UPON THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE HELIX AND THE ARTICLE AT THE TOPMOST PART OF THE HELIX BEING FREE TO BE ROTATED HORIZONTALLY TO THE DISCHARGE STATION. 